The exhibition match falls outside the FIFA international calendar but, thanks to a fixture reshuffle by the Pro League, Hart had his choice of home-based talent.

The “Soca Warriors” coach said he intends to use the match to help create a deeper player pool.

“I am looking for players who adapt quickly and can bring something different to the present squad,” Hart told the TTFA Media. “I am also looking to create a deeper playing pool, with an aim of establishing competition for places.”

Eight of Hart’s squad have junior FIFA World Cup experience for Trinidad and Tobago.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Khaleem Hyland (centre) roars during Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action in Guatemala City on 13 November 2015.Hyland scored in a 2-1 win for the “Soca Warriors.”(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Hyland is the only overseas player in Hart’s 22-man squad, which, as expected, leans heavily on defending champions, Central FC, and the youthful W Connection set-up for the bulk of his team.

Central and Connection contributed eight and six players respectively to the Warriors outfit with three from Defence Force, two from Police FC and one apiece from Club Sando and Morvant Caledonia United.

Balthazar, who is 33 years old, is the oldest member of the squad but was rewarded for his consistency and goal scoring form this season. And, although he has never won a cap for the Warriors, he is an accomplished international indoor player and the current national Futsal captain.

Lewis and Garcia (N) have both been eclipsed by younger siblings but will now get a shot to showcase their own abilities.

Lewis’ little brother, Micah Lewis, represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2007 Under-17 and 2009 Under-20 World Cups, while Garcia (N) is the elder brother of Netherlands-based teenager, Levi Garcia, who is in line to make his own debut in upcoming World Cup qualifiers against St Vincent and the Grenadines on March 25 and 29.

Thirty two year old Central winger Jason Marcano is another exotic selection. Marcano has 11 caps under his belt spread among four former national coaches—Wim Rijsbergen, Anton Corneal (while stand-in for Francisco Maturana), Russell Latapy and Hutson Charles—but has never represented his country in a competitive fixture.

Marcano too has benefitted from red hot recent form with the “Couva Sharks.” He would also relish the chance to show that his unorthodox dribbling and precise crossing matches international standards.

His Central, De Silva, has been sounded out to play for Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda at senior level due to family ties—although he represented Trinidad and Tobago at two junior World Cups—but has so far resisted overtures in an effort to prolong his international career with the land of his birth.

Joseph is, arguably, the player to watch for in Grenada, as he managed at least one goal in his last seven successive games for the Sharks and totalled eight items during that period.

Joseph’s five caps under Hart thus far—all in friendlies—have primarily been as a winger, which is not his preferred post.

A shortage of “number 10s” available to Hart—Kevin Molino is still recovering from a lengthy injury-enforced lay off, Keron Cummings is injured and Ataulla Guerra just joined Charleston Battery (US) and has not convinced—might open the door for Joseph to play alongside captain Kenwyne Jones in St Vincent, if the former World Youth Cup player impresses on audition in Grenada.

The more established travellers in the squad are JM Williams, who captained the squad in their 2016 Copa America Centenario play off loss against Haiti on January 8, his capable deputy, Phillip, and the versatile Cyrus.

Connection attackers Jomal Williams, who leads Pro League scorers with goals in all competitions, and Shahdon Winchester have kept their place in the squad from the Copa play off while club teammate Hughtun Hector is also regaining full fitness after injury.

“This game will serve its purpose (in widening the player pool) and it provides that opportunity for players who have been knocking on the door,” said Hart. “And of course we have a few of the regular squad players who will add that stability and experience to the team that will play in Grenada.

“This is also a good opportunity for us to get these players, several of them new to the stage of international football, in a training camp environment which allows us to see how the react to such conditions.”

The team will enter a training camp on Sunday and will hold its first training session on Monday morning at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium. Hart will be without his six Central FC players who are in Jamaica until Sunday night for their CONCACAF Champions League qualifying series.

The Warriors travel to St George’s on Friday March 18 and will tackle Grenada from 7 pm on March 19 at their National Athletic Stadium.

Photo: Central FC goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams enjoys a light moment during a 2014/15 Pro League outing against North East Stars.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Trinidad and Tobago’s next home match will be their World Cup qualifier against St Vincent on the Grenadines on Tuesday 29 March at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.

Tickets are priced at TT$300 for the covered section and TT$150 for uncovered and fans can buy them at Sports and Games or Kenny’s Sports outlets nationwide as well as at Sportway (Ellerslie Plaza and Gulf City) and Ramsingh’s Sportworld (Couva).

Tobago fans will be able to purchase tickets at Heritage Sports in Scarborough from Friday while tickets are also available online from Wednesday March 9, via the TTFA’s official website – www.TTFootball.Org.

About Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the CEO and Editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

Always star who can deny the Trini in me . Yet I am more Guyanese than Colin Benjamin who shame to say he is Gt so I got to reflect.
When the ship bring us here they did not bring us as TT or Gt thus nothing stopping me from coming up against TT next week in Grenada. Leo Beenhakker say in football 1 and 1 is not always 2.

Not because I was a staunch supporter of David John Williams campaign you can pin a job for the boys title on me star. Trust me if you see I get as much as a garbage boy job in TT football know that I like my others in this country…put my life in this thing.

And this I have been saying for a very long time now that they have to continue to raise the standards of our professional league at home in order to have a strong home base set of players that can be part of the pool that Coach Hart needs with our foreign base professional players because I always believe that our players at home will give plenty more in the game because they are trying to make it professionally abroad compared to our players that made it already.

And the football really needs to return to our communities with better fields and seating areas in order to get the real crowd support. I know that Mahaica Oval is under repairs and the pro league is also using that good field in Barataria I think Barataria Ball players home field for games so once this is done the standard will really raise again and of course the teams can now generate their own funds in the communities.

I am happy to see the TT pool widen and also give a chance to a team like Grenada to get a big team warm up.
More matches like these outside the fifa window will make the local based players see a pathway from performances in the league towards like a TT A team then on to the full National team.

I think that since Coach Hart was hired our players are getting the message eh, we can see it in their game on the field, but some are still making him look like he is limited in his coaching abilities especially when we should have beaten the USA team in the last game we played against them at home, for professionals that are playing abroad they should be on like boil corn eh lol

The problem I see with our team is that we don’t have a midfield playmaker/ goalscorer like Russel The magician Laterpy, Autis Whitley, Hudson Barber Charles, and I am sure that you can name a few more who have represented our sweet country in the past, I really thought that Hyland would have been that kind of player when he first came on the scene but I was told that when he made it professionally abroad the team used him as a defender, and the next thing that we really missing is two prolific goalscorers upfront that really knows how to score the goals and if we don’t fix those two departments quickly the USA team will continue beating us eh.

Humphrey good I find inno…he just young and well ettie have reeeel competition for that centre back….if have Abu bakr bateau Mitchell and Marshall and mekeil Williams…suprised Wesley didn’t get a shout

1 month agoby wired868Where allyuh?! W Connection and Club Atlético Pantoja engage in Caribbean Club Championship battle in front of a sprinkling of patrons at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 4 February 2018. Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/CA-Images/Wired868

1 month agoby wired868Kaiso kaiso! Helon Francis delivers "Changes" during the Calypso Monarch final at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain on 11 February 2018. Francis, 24, sang his way to his maiden Calypso Monarch crown. Photo: Wired868

3 weeks agoby wired868South Zone secretary and Point Fortin East Secondary teacher Essiel Seecharan makes a point during the SSFL’s first Stakeholders Forum at the National Cycling Centre in Couva on 24 February, 2018. Looking on (from left to right) are Norris Ferguson, Phillip Fraser, Gregory Wales, Gerald Elliot and Anthony Creed. Photo: Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868

6 hours agoby wired868Eyes on the ball! South Zone XI goalkeeper Aaron Babwah (centre) keeps his eyes on the ball during RBNYL U-12 action at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar on 18 March 2018. Photo: Sean Morrison/Wired868

8 hours agoby wired868Maingot season! QPCC midfielder Logan Maingot (left) drives forward with the ball while a South Zone XI player tries to stay close during RBNYL U-12 action at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar on 18 March 2018. Photo: Sean Morrison/Wired868